The present disclosure relates to supplements and methods for administration, and more particularly, to dietary supplements comprising a blend of turmeric, quercetin and rosemary or holy basil, wasabi and broccoli seed extract in specific ratios that can stimulate the Antioxidant Response Element (ARE) or Quinone Reductase (QR) and/or induce related gene expression, for example, heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) expression.
Free radicals play a significant role in the onset and progression of a variety of conditions and diseases, for example, inflammation, allergic reactions, joint deterioration, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and the like. More particularly, in one example, it is believed that free radical damage to lipid molecules many cause low density lipoprotein peroxidation and initiate arterial plaque, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. In another example, free radical damage to protein molecules can cause alteration to tissue structure and immunological disorders, which can lead to arthritis and connective tissue damage that can alter the appearance and function of skin. Accordingly, much attention has been focused on the addition of antioxidants to dietary supplements and foods in order to scavenge free radicals in biologic systems.
A variety of compositions have been identified as having antioxidant capabilities. For example, curcumin from turmeric, a spice, has been shown to be an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, both in vitro and in vivo. Some studies, focused on exposing bovine aortic endothelial cells to curcumin, indicate that curcumin is a potent inducer of HMOX-1 in such endothelial cells, and that it increased heme oxygenase activity. Motterlini R et al, Curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, induces heme oygenase-1 and protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med. Apr. 15; 28(8):1303-12 (2000). However, these studies have not harnessed the full capabilities of curcumin.
Other unrelated attempts have been made to combine curcumin with other ingredients, such as quercetin and rosemary, to ameliorate specific inflammation related disease. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,701 to Darland, which is hereby incorporated by reference, combines curcumin, quercetin and rosemary in a ratio of about 2:1:2 to ameliorate such disease. This reference also provides that in this ratio, the observed Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) of this ratio of combined ingredients has a better outcome than the ingredients individually with regard to ORAC. However, this reference does not contemplate whether the ORAC results would bear on or have a similar outcome concerning other functionality, such as ARE or HMOX-1 expression, nor does it even appreciate the effect of curcumin on these expressions. Indeed, the United States Department of Agriculture has recently removed their extensive ORAC database, reflecting the hypothesis that ORAC activity does not reflect the actual health benefit of samples. Therefore, there remains room for exploration and improvements in these areas.